The Flame Within
by Driagirl
Summary: Mitsuku was always able to see flames, but only until she moved to Namimori, she understood the true extend of them. (Oneshots)
1. Where it began

**The Flame** **Within**

Ever since she was small, Mitsuku remembers flames.

Not the kind of flame, where you burn yourself when getting too close, nor the kind of flame that shows no mercy, swallowing everything in its path in its endless hunger.

No, it's the flame that resides within the people.

She would always remember the kind and passionate yellow flames of her mother, full of love, always warming her up when she feels lonely or just sad. Sometimes, just sometimes, it would even make her forget the pain on her kneecaps when she fell down or the blisters on her hand, because the fire she thought she was finally able to reach wasn't kind at all, but no one understood.

Her mother, despite her beautiful being, never took her seriously. Always laughing at how silly Mitsukus imaginary world was. She would never understand how effortlessly her mother brushed her worries off, but she still loved her. It would be ridiculous to be mad at her for one small matter, when her mom was always by her side with open arms and a loving heart.

She never met her father, _'fortunately'_ her mom would always add.

 _'He was a monster, I'll never understand how I could fall for a man like him,'_

 _'…, but I don't regret it.'_

Needless to say, Mitsuku understood and would like to think she was the reason.

So when they moved from a huge city like Tokyo to a small town like Namimori, she did take more than one double take.

It seems that even after years, one could get homesick like her mother.

 _'I miss my friends, and I think it's time that you get closer to your grandmother.'_

She of course asked if Mitsuku was alright with it and that they could still stay in Tokyo if she wanted to, regardless to say, when you have no friends because of your freakish nature and even the teachers trying to distance themselves as much as they can from you, you don't have much to stay for.

So here she is, a week later already at the near end of summer holidays in the small yet strange town called Namimori. It was going to be the second year of high school and to say she was excited was an understatement.

Maybe, just because the people here were so much more interesting than in her hometown.

 **OOo** **ooOO**


	2. Rain Waves

It first started when she took a walk, trying to get familiar with the towns streets and paths.

Not even five minutes out and she heard the first explosion going on, far enough to not be seen, but near enough to feel the earth shaking. She was terrified, but the residents kept going on as if nothing happened at all, so she saw no other choice than shaking it off.

Suddenly, someone bumped into her, losing her sense of balance she fell on her behind with a thud.

It hurt, a little bit.

"Hahaha! I'm sorry, that wasn't on purpose, I didn't see you. Here, take my hand."

There was no need to say that the voice didn't sound sorry at all.

 _'At least he's trying, I guess.'_

She looked up at the boy and felt her breath caught.

Blue, that was the first thing she noticed, but not the usual timid blue that resides the peoples souls, no, a vibrant shining blue that took over his complete soul like the crashing waves of the ocean, so free, so wild, so _real,_ she felt the water drops on her skin, but at the same time it was like a warm, soothing rain and she felt all her worries and anxieties being washed away.

It was magnificent.

"Well, I guess you won't take my hand then. Sorry, but I'm kind of in a hurry! Bye!"

Broken out of her shock, she saw the boy, around her age probably, running to the direction she came from and she wondered if she would see him again.

She sure hoped so.

She didn't notice her hand unconsciously reaching for her face to wipe away the water drops, only to meet dry skin.

 **OOoooOO**


	3. Candy!

"Mitsuku, we don't have any candy left anymore, because your grandmother snatched the last bonbons away. Would you mind going to the candy shop I told you about and buy some?"

Yes, her grandmother has a sweet tooth that could make any dentist collapse in shock, which her mom and she herself inherited with no problem at all.

"Of course, kaa-san."

The tinkling sound of the door and the cosy atmosphere in the shop were a bliss for Mitsuku which she knows, she will get fond of in the near future.

"Welcome in the Sweetheart Candyshop! How may I help you?"

"I'm just looking around."

She immediately gravitated towards the lollipops and was delighted to see almost every flavour available she knew, they sure didn't hold back. Picking three of her families every favourite candy (which was a lot, she would be weeping at the price if it wasn't totally worth it), she went to the cashier with a small bag full of sweets.

"Just looking around, huh?" The cashier lady said with a gleeful expression.

"…it runs in the family." Mitsuku could feel her face going red in embarrassment, how mortifying.

"I hope you'll enjoy your candy, come back soon!" I paid her the money and nodded with a smile when I heard something akin to a baby crying.

"No! Lambo-san wants sweets! Sweets! Sweets! Sweets! Waaaah!"

"But Lambo-chan, you ate five lollipops already plus half of the cakes from Haru-chan and I! Too much is unhealthy, you know!"

"I don't care! Tsuna-nii would buy them for me, Lambo-san wants melon and grapes!"

Outside the shop was a little kid with a ridiculously funny cow costume and an afro, holding hands while weeping and crying (snot all over his face), with a really cute girl. (Her hair colour was so bright, she almost got blinded. She took a liking to that girl already.)

Yet Mitsuku could only stare at the little boy and wondered how the beautiful girl didn't get electrified. His lighting strikes were all over the place, she feared for a second she would die from a shock when touching them, but that fear went away as she got nearer, (it was only a little boy, after all) and offered him her melon lollipops.

He stopped crying at once and stared at her in child-like wonder and adoration, the flames in him retreating to a peaceful buzzing, before laughing obnoxiously as if she did exactly what he thought she was supposed to do.

"Mwahaha, I knew no one could resist Lambo-sans charm!" And so he grabbed the sweets on her hand and for a second, she felt the hairs on her back stand up in goosebumps when his hand touched hers, before he ran ahead to what she guessed was his home.

"I'm really sorry, ne. He may act spoiled at times, but he's a really sweet kid. Oh! I should probably pay you for those!" She was about to pull her purse out, when a hand stopped her.

"It's alright, really. I can always buy some more and those few yen won't make much of a difference." Mitsuku said with a smile.

Her sun flames were really pure, like Mitsukus mother.

"I see, well, I still feel indebted so I'd like to treat you to a cake sometime, maybe? My name is Kyoko."

What a radiant smile.

"That would be great. I'm Yoshida Mitsuku,"

"What a nice name! Give me your phone number so we can keep in touch!"

"Sure."

…

"It was nice meeting you, Mitsuku-chan! I'll write you, bye!"

Mitsuku only sweat-dropped at the instant familiarity.

She could still feel the sparks at the tips of her fingers.

 **OOoooOO**


	4. Two in one

Kyoko and Mitsuku got friends in no time and she was overjoyed to finally have her first real friend, so it was obvious that the more she befriended with Kyoko, the more of her friends she would meet.

"Mitsuki-chan, meet Hana-, Haru-, and Chrome-chan! We're all going to be really good friends, I know it!"

Ah, there was it again. How come the people in this town had such beautiful flames? This time though, she was able to keep her staring at bay, especially when this girl just seemed to be super duper shy.

When meeting two extraordinary people already, it wasn't that hard to get used to the spectacular sight of people seeming to be overtaken by their flames. Although, do they even notice it themselves?

Mitsuku wouldn't know, she can't even see her own flames and wonders everyday want kind of element she holds, and now, after arriving in Namimori, she wonders if she can also achieve the magnificence of them.

Yet the more she interacted with Kyoko's friends, the more she noticed something... off about Chrome. Yes, her flames were striking and somehow made the girls appearance hazy like she's surrounded by a mist, but that wasn't the weird thing. It was the fact that there was a different flame obtaining her body.

The more she observed it, the more she was sure. Not only were the colours sightly darker, they weren't part of her soul, but her body. She wasn't sure if she should be worried about Chrome since there were unfamiliar flames inside of her, but she thought better of it since the girl seemed alright and showed no signs of discomfort.

 **OOoooOO**


	5. My eyes!

It's been a week since she was in her mothers hometown and today would be her first day in Namimori High School. As promised she waited in front of Kyoko-chan's house so that they could go together.

" _You're new in town, right? We should go to school together then from now on, and I could show you all the shortcuts!"_

Mitsuku still feels the phantom pain in her eyes at the shining aura Kyoko emitted on that day, she saw some blind spots even hours later.

She was shaken out of her thoughts from an earth rumbling sound on her left, turned around and squinted her eyes, only to see a humongous trail of dust coming right in her direction at an heart stopping speed. She felt tremors of terror shake her bones in fear of being overtaken by that trail, her bones refusing to move in panic.

The dust came nearer and nearer, and her ears exploded.

"EXTREEEMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Dazed was the only word that Mitsuku saw fitting in her current state, her ears ringing at the damage it took, so she missed the first few sentences of the person who appeared out of nowhere in front of her.

"-you're Kyoko's new friend? I heard EXTREMELY lot from you! Nice to meet you to the EXTREME!"

Yet Mitsuku couldn't find it in her to answer, her whole vision was overtaken by a vibrant, vivid, energetic _yellow_ , sparkling like anything she's ever seen before and _for a moment_ , her whole body felt lighter, healthier, and just overpowered.

"Nii-san! You're back already!" Kyoko's sweet voice echoed from the doorstep yet Mitsuku couldn't bring herself to look at her friend in her _exhilarating_ rush.

She never wants this to go away.

"Ah, Kyoko! I met your EXTREME friend already!"

The rest of their conversation faded until Kyoko's worried gaze was directly in front of her.

"Mitsuku-chan, are you alright? I know my brother is a little handful, but don't mind him ne? He's not as bad as he appears to be!"

She could only nod. Yeah, she could definitely believe that. Anyone with such vibrant flames _couldn't_ be a bad person, in her opinion.

Kyoko-chan's smile brighten, "Then let's go! Or we'll be late!"

And her steps never felt lighter, hours later she still felt as if she could fly.

 **OOoooOO**


	6. Danger

Sadly, it seems that Kyoko-chan and her won't be in the same class, in fact, Mitsuku aced the entrance test and was put a class higher.

How disappointing.

Now here she sat, in class 3-A Nami High School all alone again. At least the teachers seemed to be alright.

Mitsuku sighed in relief when the bell rang. Now she could maybe escape the stares and whispers all around her. While a peaceful (as peaceful as it gets with its explosions) town, it seemed that Namimori was also a gossiping town.

" _Did you hear? The new student aced the test!"_

" _Yea, a higher score than Gokudera Hayato I heard."_

" _Are you serious? That genius Gokudera Hayato from 2-A?"_

" _Wait, is that_ even _possible?"_

Okay, so she wasn't the dumbest lamb in the bunch, was there really a reason to exaggerate that much though? A frown passed her features.

 _'Gokudera Hayato... Didn't Kyoko-chan mention him once?'_

Mitsuku shrugged. She was on her way to her friends class when she heard a scream, and the clashing sounds of metal.

"I-It's Hibari-san! Run!"

"W-What is he even doing here? He graduated, didn't he?!"

She rounded the corner when she heard the footsteps getting farther and farther away.

"Tch, hebivores."

Mitsuku gasped at the sight that unfolded right in front of her.

Everything was _ablaze_. The ground, the trees, the walls in purple flames. It was everywhere and the source was barely visible behind them. Weirdly the nothing seemed to take damage.

 _'Maybe it still is in his soul?'_

But how? How can have someone so many flames that it overcapacitated the very core? How is that even possible? Out of all her encounters, she feared this person the most. The killing intend was everywhere, pressuring her and she saw it coming in her direction.

She ran, how scary, frightening, _terrifying_. She didn't even see the persons face under all that fire.

 **OOoooOO**


	7. Dammit, Gokudera!

Mitsuku got shaken out of her thoughts when the bell rang, she hid the whole break in the corner of the school library in fear, where no one would find her. Her teeth were still shaking in fear and her body couldn't seem to calm down.

She could really need some rain flames right now. _(It's like a drug, isn't it?)_

She shook herself out of her paralysed state, she needed to get to class. With trembling legs she set off.

The rest of the day she was busy hiding everywhere she couldn't encounter people in fear of meeting that person again. Mitsuku did feel guilty for dumping her friends, but nothing could make her go out there a second time.

The second the school bell rang, signalling the end of the school day, she rushed as the first out.

She kind of got hold of her fear, but her instincts were still screaming at her to run as far as her legs could carry her. How utterly disgraceful.

So she forced herself to stop at the school gates and actually wait for Kyoko to apologise for not appearing. That at least, she owed the innocent girl.

"Mitsuku-chan, there you are! Mou, I was worried you know? You were gone the whole day and you didn't even pick up your phone!" Kyoko said with a worried frown.

She closed her eyes in guilt.

"I'm sorry Kyoko-chan, but something got in the way and I wasn't able to check on my phone. It won't happen again, I promise."

Kyoko's smile brightened and she nodded in happiness. "At least you're okay!"

"Yeah, at leas-" She stopped mid-sentence.

"GET AWAY YOU BASEBALL FREAK! YOU'RE BOTHERING JYUUDAIME!"

A storm, no, a tornado that would destroy everything in its path. Never ending and she could practically feel the wind around her picking up, reacting with the tempest, dancing in a vicious dance of blood-red fatality.

Yes, fatality, because this typhoon would destroy everything in its way mercilessly that's considered an enemy. Yet she just wouldn't, _couldn't_ understand how the humans around her remained so calm, _so_ ignorant, and the person in the centre of it all seemed just so... unaffected.

Her mind wasn't able to grasp how his silver hair stayed perfectly in place nor how his clothes didn't flutter at least a little bit to the windstorm residing within.

This was too much for her, the whole day crashing all at once on her, and Mitsuku fainted.

 **OOoooOO**


	8. Welcome in our famiglia!

Warmth. That's the first thing Mitsuku was able to identify in the darkness surrounding her.

Somehow, it reminded her very much of her mother so she tried to open her eyes.

"Mitsuku-chan! You're awake!" The relief in that voice was very clear and the first sight Mitsuku saw was Kyoko's worried gaze.

 _'I seem to only worry her, what a failure of a friend I am.'_

"I'm sorry for the trouble I've been causing, Kyoko-chan." Mitsuku smiled ruefully.

"Nu-uh! It's alright, I'm here cause that's what friends do! So I know you'll be there for me too if something happens."

"Kyoko is EXTREMELY right Yoshida! That's what friends are for!"

Ah, so he was the source of warmth. How was he able to use the flames actively on me? Wait, is that even possible? It doesn't matter right now, the flames still seemed to affect her from the distance.

 _'The school infirmary?'_

Mitsuku wonders if too much of his flames would be actually unhealthy, no matter how thrilling it feels.

"That's where you were Kyoko, Nii-san. You guys worried me."

She couldn't help but shiver at that voice. It wasn't very high pitched, but not too low either, as if that person just hit the stage in puberty of the voice breaking, but that wasn't what caught her attention, it was the absolute authority that voice seemed to emit. That is the voice of a commander, confident, charismatic, _dangerous_. How fearful.

Just what is _wrong_ with the people of this town? How can there be so much _power_ in one place? Shouldn't that be illegal or something?

The curtain moved and it took her nearly everything not to faint again, but not in fear. Oh no, it was the magnificence, the marvellous, unparalleled, just- _brilliant_ orange flame in her field of vision.

So pure, so bright and just _real_ _(The flames of a leader)_. It was just _so_ warm and it welcomed her with open arms, drew her in and she knew, if she would let herself be captured by its potential, its _**power**_ she would never be able to let go. _(Yes, it_ is _a drug_ _... and she got captured already.)_

…

 _'Looks like you earned another subordinate, Dame-Tsuna, and a powerful at that one.'_

 _'HIEEEE, Reborn!'_

 **OOoooOO**

 _ **The End**_

* * *

 _ **This was a whole lot of fun to write :D**_


	9. Epilogue

**I'd like to thank Madam3May3m for pointing out that I missed Mitsuku's flames so I made an epilogue for it, enjoy!**

 **Warning! I didn't go over it to check for spelling mistakes and I'm too tired to correct right now (4 am), so please try to ignore obvious mistakes D:**

* * *

 **Epilogue**

It has been 10 years since Mitsuku joined Vongola and she was more content than she could ever remember being.

She still remembers with fondness and nostalgia the times she joined them for the first time.

Hayato's mistrusting gaze, Takeshi's happy but watchful expression, Ryohei's easily trusting and loud nature, Lambo's adoring behavior to 'the lady who gave him candies', and Chrome's shy but loving nature.

The shudders still ran through her when she remembered meeting Mukuro Rukudo for the first time, a few weeks after Tsuna welcomed her to the family.

Mitsuku's mother was ecstatic to have her friends over and always welcomed them with a warm smile and cookies.

Regardless to say, Lambo fell immediately in love with Mitsuku's mom and Nana and her got best friends in no time.

And let's not forget Kyoya. It took her a whole month to get used to the sight of his flames and a lot of ass kicking from Reborn. It's surprising that he was that patient with her fear, if it would've been Tsuna he would've started beating it out of him since day 1. (Which he did from all the stories she heard of their past adventures)

Nonetheless is she still amazed every time she sees Tsuna and his flames and can't help but wonder how she got so lucky to meet him.

 _She didn't even want to start about Reborn's and the other Arcobalenos flames. Imagine Tsuna's flames and those of his guardians and multiply them by ten, that would make up a quarter of their flames. So Mitsuku doesn't need to say that she was thankful to Reborn's constant presence and training, so that she could get used to it._

Everyday was fun and the group accepted her more and more, but she still had days where she would take a break from the craziness that involved her sky's life. The flutter in her heart of that thought is still there, ten years later. _Her sky._

 _'Like a true cloud, you may see us as your friends and family, but you still need you time.'_

The smile on Tsuna's face that day was engraved in Mitsuku's memory.

Yes, she found out that she had cloud and lightning flames. While cloud was still her main flame she got the hang of controlling them pretty quickly thanks to Reborn's spartan training and Hayato's help.

"VOOOOOIIIII! Where's that shitty Vongola kid at?! He assigned me to a mission!"

She sighed, tiredly. His dark blue flames were chaotic as ever, and not for the first time she was thankful they were actually controlled when used or the office would be a mess, and all the _paperwork_ she would have to deal with. Ugh.

"Squalo, how many times do I have to tell you? This is the CEDEF headquarter, if you're looking for Tsuna you have to go to his office, in _Venice_."

"Tch, I know that already! How stupid do you think I am?! VOOOIIIII!"

 _'Pretty fucking stupid'_

"What was that, bitch?!"

"Ara, did I say that out loud?" She gasped and held her hand in front of her mouth, the fake surprise visible on her face, mocking him.

"Whatever, I've been told he's coming over here and I'm tired of running after that piece of crap the whole day-, VOOOOI! You listening to me, bitch?!"

She stopped listening as soon as the words came out of his mouth and rushed past him towards the secret base, where they always meet when he's over.

 _'Tsuna is coming over!'_

Her stomach fluttered in happiness (It's not a crush, she found out long ago that she wasn't compatible with anyone from Vongola. Maybe even the world.) and her cheeks flushed in exhilaration.

 _'How long has it been, months? 7 months 23 days and 2 hours to be exact, but who's counting?'_

It doesn't matter, it's been too friggin long!

She waited impatiently for the elevators since Hayato and Ryohei destroyed the stairs from the 12th to the 2nd floor in a fight a while ago which had the CEDEF leader Kyoya appear, obviously, and destroy the building even more. Luckily the elevators were spared, but that didn't stop the load of paperwork pushed on her desk, overfilling it to the point where she had to put them on the ground or they would collapse on her.

 _'Screw this, I got all the paperwork from Kyoya anyway._ _A little more won't hurt.'_

She took her Scythe out of nowhere and loaded it with cloud and lightning flames-

 _'Here goes nothing.'_

The whole building shook in tremor and in front of the elevator were huge holes all the way down to the 1st floor.

Mitsuku brushed the dust off her shoulders in satisfaction, she should've done this sooner.

…

"Tsuna, Reborn!"

Her cheeks hurt from smiling so much and she felt lightheaded from the sight of their intoxicating flames, as she ran up to them. Reborn's smirk was ever present and more handsome than ever since he returned to his original body, while Tsuna smiled warmly yet exaggerated.

"Mitsuku, please don't tell me you destroyed part of the floors only because the elevator was too slow for you."

At her innocent blinking, Tsuna groaned, he and Reborn spoke at the same time.

Kyoka is going to kill me when he finds out that I was the reason!"

"As expected of my student, only the best."

She pouted playfully. _(Truly, the years with them made her feel freer and happier than she ever thought she was capable of.)_

"It's not my fault that your guardians cause me so much work and that I'm never able to visit and I barely see you anymore! Tsuna, I may be a cloud, but I miss my sky too, you know!"

Tsuna smiled in apology, his handsome features warming up in fondness.

"That's actually what we're here for. Reborn and I decided that the family spends too little time with each other, so I announced that everyone is going to gather at kaa-san's house in Namimori for a break. A holiday sort of you would say. Mama would be extremely happy to have us at her house and you could see your mom again. We could even visit your grandmas grave together. I know for how long you wanted to visit her again."

Tears welled up in the corner of her eyes.

"E-Eh! Mitsuku, are you alright?! I-I'm sorry, okay? I'll take half of your paperwork if you want, so please, stop crying!"

She giggled at his panic, the cool leader vanishing entirely at having to face the tears of one of his closest friends.

"Those were tears of happiness, Dame-Tsuna."

He flinched at the nickname,

"Is that how you treat you boss? I should fire you,"

She smirked smugly, the perfect replica of Reborn.

"Kyoya is my boss, you can't do anything, lil' Sky"

Tsuna sighed at the nickname in nostalgia, the corners of his mouth tilted upwards.

"Let's get going. I'm gonna have the whole building renovated while we're away. Ah, the paperwork, the pain!"

…

"Didn't we forget something?"

"No, I don't think so."

…

"VOOOOOI! Where are you, Vongola trash?!"

 **OOoooOO**

 _ **The end**_


End file.
